“While teachers cannot take over the role of psychiatrists, there are many small, practical steps they can take to tackle discrimination, raise awareness and help children feel less isolated when they are at their lowest.”

This article provides some good ideas of how to handle mental health in the classroom if the teacher feels comfortable and competent enough to follow through on the suggestions. But, as noted in the article, some teachers might feel uncomfortable discussing mental health. In these cases, we encourage teachers to find support from others, such as school counselors, a local NAMI branch, or your local consumer wellness/advocacy center (in the state of Maryland, there are On Our Own of Maryland affiliated wellness centers in nearly every county!).